Climate Smart Agriculture

ISAP is dedicated to supporting farmers as they adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. By disseminating relevant research, creating a strong network of informed advisors, and promoting the adoption of climate smart agricultural practices, ISAP is committed to ensuring that Illinois agriculture benefits from being part of the climate solution. 

Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Webinar Series

ISAP hosted a three-part webinar series that featured PCSC projects working to support Illinois farmers, including those with a multi-state geography. Each hour-long session in the series featured two PCSC projects, including an overview of the programs and time for Q&A for each project. Each presenter also shared how individual producers may interact with their programs by walking through potential farmer scenarios.

Projects featured in the series include:

  • Midwest Climate-Smart Commodity Program presented by AgOutcomes
  • ADM and Partners' Climate-Smart Solutions presented by ADM
  • Farmers for Soil Health Climate-Smart Commodities Partnership presented by Precision Conservation Management
  • The Climate-Smart Agriculture Innovative Finance Initiative presented by Field to Market
  • Expanding Agroforestry Production and Markets presented by Savanna Institute

Webinars in the Series

Session 1

Sam Field and Brogan Schanz speak on the Midwest Climate-Smart Commodity Program. Following the Midwest Climate-Smart Commodity Program, we are joined by Jenny Poling who speaks on ADM and Partners’ Climate-Smart Solutions.

Session 2

Lainey Wolf, Director of Grant Programs at Field to Market, presents on The Climate-Smart Agriculture Innovative Finance Initiative. Following Field to Market, Greg Goodwin, Director at Precision Conservation Management, presents on the Farmers for Soil Health Climate-Smart Commodities Partnership.

Session 3

Fred Iutzi, Director of Research & Commercialization at the Savanna Institute presents on the Expanding Agroforestry Production and Markets. Following Fred, Lainey Wolf, Director of Grant Programs at Field to Market, presents on a different facet of The Climate-Smart Agriculture Innovative Finance Initiative.

Agriculture's Climate Potential

Illinois Potential 609 KB 53 downloads

With over 23 million acres of cropland available for the implementation of practices capable of increasing soil carbon and storage such as planting cover crops and reducing tillage, the opportunity for Illinois farmers to offer immediate, scalable solutions to climate change is immense. This fact sheet, developed by the ISAP Science Advisory Committee in September 2020, serves to introduce farmers to carbon-related financial opportunities.

National Potential 3 MB 45 downloads

American Farmland Trust summarizes the current state of the science surrounding the use of regenerative practices and their impact on soil organic carbon and greenhouse gas emissions, including important limitations of our current understanding. Additionally, the report outlines an achievable path toward harnessing the sequestration potential of U.S. soils.